Not Coming Back

by   July 21, 2025 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

Do we hear more powerful words than those spoken by a three year old?

Sure –  but not this time.

Our family lost Nana recently. She was the grandmother of eight.

We really did not lose her though. We know where she is.

She is in heaven – with Jesus.

My two and three year old grandsons that Nana and I share, found their way to Nana’s chair often.They knew where she would be sitting. I am sure conversation flowed easily, as they probably had lots of questions for her and she had lots of answers for them.

I am not sure if they have yet internalized the meaning of the emptiness of Nana’s chair where they often stopped to share their thoughts, but the older one  said this, “Nana went to heaven. She’s not coming back.”

The younger brother was standing beside him, looking up toward the ceiling, with his big brown eyes trying to see her in the heavens. No doubt but what Nana experienced that loving moment from heaven with them.

I had expected the words, “Nana went to heaven,” but the words, “She’s not coming back,” hit me a little hard as I looked into their eyes. They wanted encouragement, so I gave it to them, “We will see her in heaven one day.” They knew that already, but they needed to hear it again.  – and I needed to say it again.

The younger one’s eyes met mine with a bit of a question, but the older one’s eyes were shining, as he said, “I know.”

The nine year old granddaughter, who was with Nana daily, looked to me, knowing God’s Promise of  Heaven. Her beautiful eyes were wider and brighter than ever, filled with tears that she held back for a few seconds until two huge teardrops fell onto her cheeks. Although always beautiful, something about the raw emotion in that moment filled with the largest most intimate tears I had ever seen, will forever be etched in my memory as the most beautiful she had ever been.

The younger grandchildren were a bit young to completely internalize this moment in time – but I believe they did. That is called – the Holy Spirit – speaking to our children’s young hearts.

It happens through the Power of God.

They knew Nana was in heaven. They knew Nana was not coming back. 

They also knew that one day they would be in heaven with her.

They knew they would see her again.

Not only did they know, but they fervently and without a doubt believe it.

What does it take for a little child to know and believe?

Perhaps they know and believe because their family knows and believes.

Jesus not only speaks to our hearts, but He also speaks to the hearts of our children..

As we were in the middle of three hours at the funeral home visiting with others, remembering and talking about Nana, and comforting one another, I stood still and listened for a moment. Standing still brought comfort. Not only was there the natural feeling of grieving the loss of an amazing lady of the Lord, but there was another overpowering emotion. It was love. Love for Nana, of course, but the love reached out even further – to everyone in the room – and  Jesus in our midst.

As Christians, we do not have to grieve as those who have no hope, We can grieve with hope. 

We grieve over losing her, but rejoice that she is with Jesus and that we will be with her again.

The earth is the Lord’s and so are the heavens. That lets me know that it all belongs to the Lord. We belong to Jesus. Whether it is our last step as we leave Earth or our first step into heaven, Jesus is with us. No matter the place, the way, the time – Jesus walks with us. We do not need to fear.

Death is about our life on Earth coming to an end and our life in Heaven beginning.

That is why we call it ETERNAL LIFE.

Rewatch, Reread, Rediscover

by   July 20, 2025 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

When it comes to watching movies or reading books, there are generally two types of people: those who rewatch or reread, and (so, I’ve heard) those who don’t. I wonder if the latter group is also the sort who won’t eat leftovers – but I’ll save that for another day. 

As you may have guessed, I am in the first camp. A glance at my Prime account would reveal that I am most willing to rewatch something, particularly shows from before this century. If a show or movie pops up in my “rewatch” section, I will probably choose that rather than any original programming from a streaming platform. 

I like comfort, but more than that, I enjoy revisiting and rediscovering characters and plots. Last week, on a particularly hot afternoon, we rewatched a movie that felt like summer:  Because of Winn-Dixie. 

While I am familiar with the movie – we own a copy –  I was not prepared for the emotions it stirred in me. How many years had passed since I last saw it? Four, five, maybe more. A lot of life has happened. I connect differently with the story. Had I not been watching with my two youngest children, I could easily have released the dam of emotions waiting to flood my eyeballs. But, had I surrendered even a trickle, I doubt I would have quickly recovered. 

Isn’t it funny how something you already know can hit differently later on? I have heard Christian songwriters share that songs they wrote 30 years ago minister to them in fresh ways now. You likely have songs like that too – part of the soundtrack of your life.

There is another familiar friend who continues to meet me where I am, time after time, revealing new things about me and about Himself. It is through the written Word of God. I am blessed to have been brought up in a culture that fostered a love for reading Scripture. My childhood pastor would challenge the congregation to read it personally. I wonder if he knew children like me were listening too. 

Each time I return to a familiar passage, the words in those pages meet me where I am. Some words that regularly minister continue to be like a familiar comfort meal. Other words, I barely noticed before, meet me fresh and anew. 

While I have other pieces of literature that I love to reread every few years, there are no other Inspired words that can offer me the love and compassion of a great Friend, Father, Creator, and Savior.

Yes, I like to rewatch and reread (and I also love good leftovers). In some cases, it is about revisiting and rediscovery, but when it comes to the Bible, it is a relationship that draws me back, time after time. 

I Forgot

by   July 19, 2025 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            I looked out the window one morning thinking a squirrel was under the bird feeders. I pulled the curtain back for a closer look and discovered that it was not a squirrel but a raccoon. He was chowing down on the seeds that were on the ground but he had obviously been in the feeders, too. Both feeders were empty and I had recently filled them. I took a few pictures as proof of our morning visitor.

            My wife reminded me that we had raccoon problems many years ago. She described how the raccoons had learned to open a feeder with a pretty tough latch to get to the food. I didn’t remember the intruder from years ago. But the longer I thought about it, I do remember that we took that feeder down to get one that was more secure. It took a little more effort to jog the memory. There are many things that are tucked away up there.

            My parents both have good memories and can remember things from many years ago, but they will also tell you that some of the details are getting a little fuzzy. What they both have told me is that new memories are really difficult to remember. They can forget what they ate for dinner a few nights ago or if they have taken their medicine. It’s tough when their memory slips, but most of the time with a little prompt the memory will return.

            My wife and I have taken to writing notes for ourselves and each other. Honey do lists are helpful so I won’t forget what needs to get done. Keeping appointments and meetings written on calendars helps to keep us both straight. The side of my computer is covered in Post It notes to help me remember important things.

            I started to wonder how easy it might be to lose stories that are a part of our testimony. I believe there are certain encounters and experiences with God that will never fade away, but I wonder if others have slipped away unnoticed. What might seem significant in the moment could escape into the darkness of forgotten events.

            How do we keep from losing something significant in our lives? I think it is important that we share our stories. “I remember when God did this in my life.” “I remember a time when it looked like all was lost and then God came through for me.” God gives us these experiences not just to help us in the moment but to create in us a testimony to His goodness. It’s those testimonies that when shared with others can build faith that God will come through for us. It can also ignite a new faith and bring people into a relationship with God.

            When we are going through a tough time, it is important for us to review how God has come through for us in the past. By reminding ourselves we end up building our own faith. It reminds us that we can trust God in the hard times. It is easy to have faith in God when everything is going well; it is during the hard times that we need reminding.

             Most of us who attend church have taken communion. We eat the bread and drink the wine. Jesus told us to do it in remembrance of Him. We need to remind ourselves of the high price Jesus paid for us. He gave His life so we can have a relationship with God, our good, good Father. Jesus’ blood removes the stain of sin in our lives. God promises to forget ALL our sins. His body was whipped so our bodies can be made new. He paid for our healing. We must never forget what it cost Jesus and the Father for our salvation, forgiveness, healing, and deliverance.

            It is easy to forget things, especially as we grow older. I want to encourage you to remember all the ways God has blessed you. Think about the many times you felt Him close when you desperately needed Him. Remember the way the scriptures have come alive at critical moments and guided you through circumstances. Remember the price Jesus paid for YOU! God the Father and Jesus love you far more than you will ever believe. They want a relationship with you. It’s ALL up to you. You have to open your heart to them. It’s not too late! Today is the day of salvation. You will never forget the day you let them into your heart.

Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com

My Riding Buddy

by   July 18, 2025 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

If you travel our lake front street early on some mornings, you may see two old men between a small building and the street. One is riding a stationary handcycle while the other sits in his chair and participates, not in the riding, but in the conversation—which covers a variety of topics.

 Ken is the riding buddy. I am the hand cycler. I knew him before I met him. I liked him then, more now.

Ken and his wife Cheryl were moving here from Rhode Island, and I first met her when she was here to check on the renovations of their new home which is across the street from ours.   I saw her checking for mail on such a visit, and I introduced myself, and as we chatted she told me that her husband was a cancer survivor and organ recipient.

After our encounter, I kept thinking of the man I had never met. I kept thinking of the man who, like my friend Mike, was a transplant survivor. I kept thinking of a man and his wife who were moving to live near a daughter. I kept thinking of cancer and its horrors. I kept think of an organ transplant. I respected and admired him before I met him because of all that he had done, none of it witnessed by me.

The moving van arrived on a day of rain. The renovated house was becoming a home for the woman I had chatted with and the man I had never met. But one day while driving home I passed a man I thought was he. After parking my car in our driveway, I went to the street to talk with the walker. It was Ken. He stood on the side of our street, and we talked about everything but nothing. It all mattered but was mostly of little significance. Yet what is important is that the man I had admired from a distance was now present.

Some mornings he walks across our street and sits in his chair as I ride. We talk and in that loose, relaxed chatter and banter we relate. We have learned each other, and I wonder sometimes if we would have ever met in our previous lives. But I doubt that because we led different lives then, but not now. Now he and I are here, two retired men sharing life lived well.

I knew Ken before I met him, and when he walks across the street to sit with me, we share more and more of this life as it is reflected from our past lives with its scars.

The mystic William Blake wrote, “ The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship.” Like the bird and spider of Blake, I have been gifted by the man I knew and admired before I met him. He’s my riding buddy.

The Unique Journey Debra Cress Chose to Better Fitness

by   July 17, 2025 with No Comments

By David Freeze

The Unique Journey Debra Cress Chose to Better Fitness

    Debra Cress is a long-time volunteer at races and other events in the area. After volunteering with the Girls on the Run program at Enochville Elementary School where her oldest granddaughter was a participant, Debra found a calling. Her daughter, Tonya Kepley, was a teacher and coach for the program and Debra began to volunteer weekly, assisting the teachers and coaches and eventually served as a mentor to many young girls over the years.

     The rest of the family includes son in law Billie Kepley, another daughter Angie Fink and grandson Korben Fink along with three granddaughters, Kyrsten Kepley, Kadence Kepley and Kassie Fink. They all began to do 5K’s together. Debra said, “Along each trail, we talked and encouraged one another to keep pushing and not to give up. The faster ones of us would finish and come back to run with the ones who were a little slower. My son-in-law, Billie Kepley, continues to be an avid runner.”

    On June 25, 2024, Debra’s mom passed away after a vehicle accident. Debra said, “I decided on July 1st to start running/walking at least 10,000 steps a day as a tribute to her life. I have gone as far as 27,000 steps on multiple occasions. Through this journey, I have retired four pairs of Brooks running shoes, the steps and miles have been monumental and each day has been memorable.”

    Now 71 years old, Debra said, “At my age, I felt it was important to keep moving. That’s when I decided to challenge myself to do it for a month, which turned into two months and now a year later I am still going strong. I have had a few unusual days. One night I realized at 11:00 pm that I wasn’t at my goal. My friend Earl took me to the IGA parking lot, and I completed my steps before midnight. Another time during bad weather, he took me to seven or eight different stores so that I could make sure to get my steps in for the day.

    Debra took one of the best and most unique approaches to improving her health that I have ever heard of. She decided to regravel her driveway and had multiple truckloads of new gravel delivered. Each morning following breakfast, Debra used a gallon can, hand scooped the gravel into it and then dumped it on her driveway. Many neighbors offered to use their tractors to quickly get the job done.

    Debra wouldn’t take the help and said, “This had become my new exercise plan and after three months of perseverance, the task was complete. What a feeling of accomplishment it was!”

     She continued, “As a tomboy, I have enjoyed the outdoors all my life. I plan to continue my adventure and see where it leads me. This has been the best spring I can remember with my asthma. Due to walking and being active, I have been able to avoid and prolong various medications and have dropped my weight. It is my goal to live my best life and be as active as possible for as long as I am able! Regardless of the weather, I never give up and continue to push through each day.”

      Debra weighed 177.6 pounds last June 30th and, on this June 28th, she weighed 161.4. Debra’s food choices have improved, and she also is a proponent of intermediate fasting. Over her lifetime, Debra has also given a total of 97 pints of blood. Her 10,000 steps a day regularly average about five miles, so a good estimate of mileage for the year is just over 1800 miles. Well done! She added, “I almost wore out Cress Road!”

     The next race locally is the Run for the Greenway 5K and Fun Run on July 19th. And past that, the SRR August Prediction 5K at City Park is set for August 23rd. Look for more information on both these events and others at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org

Gotta’ Run: The unique journey Debra Cress chose to better fitness

David Wesley Clark

by   July 16, 2025 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

Editor’s Note: Lynna Clark’s husband David passed away on June 29th. Pray for her and her family as they miss him. We know that he is at home with the Lord, but we are left here with a hole in our hearts.

My beloved husband David is finally home. Like a wounded soldier after a long hard fight, his battle with pain is over. Born on July 11, 1955 to Jim and Nina Clark, he left this earth on June 29, 2025. One might say, “If he had only lived 12 more days he would have been seventy!” But actually the Lord answered our fervent prayers that David would be relieved of his suffering before that. It was a sweet picture of grace. As you know, cancer is a terrible foe. And though David and all his doctors fought well, it was not the Lord’s plan to extend this good man’s life on earth. Instead He provided the ultimate healing in His perfect timing. So today as we reflect on his passing, we give thanks and praise to our merciful Lord for taking him home. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” -Psalm 116:15. What a beautiful time it was as we surrounded his bed at home and sang Precious Lord. Knowing that my beloved had trusted Christ as a teen, then took me to a place where I trusted Jesus too, confident assurance of heaven came easy.

David was born in Rowan County to James Morrison Clark and Nina Peele Clark. He grew up on Rowan Mills Road and nearly 70 years later passed away in his home across the street from where he grew up. Married to Lynna Pittman Clark for 51 years, they experienced a lot of really good life. Together they became proud parents of three beautiful Godly daughters. David leaves a legacy through them: Stephanie Clark Shouse [Jeff] of Ramsey, Illinois; Amanda Clark Huneycutt [Shane] of Concord, NC; and Hannah Clark Basinger [Brandon] of Salisbury, NC. Grandchildren include Mykaela Shouse, Kianna Shouse, Able Huneycutt, Jesse Basinger, and Marie Basinger, all of whom he loved dearly.

David graduated from South Rowan High School with his sweetheart [me] in 1973, then attended Florida Bible College. After working in the Food Lion warehouse for ten years, he completed his college degree. From there he began teaching at Sheets Memorial Christian School in Lexington, NC. The crazy man loved his Middle School students so much that each summer he would comment on how much he missed them. He also coached Women’s Softball winning two state championships, plus Women’s Basketball. David also taught Culinary Arts to a select few High Schoolers. He commented often on the insanity of trusting them with hot oil and sharp knives. But he truly loved his job/ministry. While he taught at SMCS for twenty years, he also wrote an entire Bible curriculum, taking his 6th – 8th graders completely through the Scriptures in three years. After his teaching career, David became a Care Pastor for High Rock Church and Life Group Bible Study leader in our home. Some of our best friendships were formed through those final years. After retiring he worked part time for our son-in-law Brandon as a dispatcher for Spencer Plumbing. As much as David hated talking on the phone, he learned to enjoy doing that job as well. He had a wonderful dry sense of humor which got us through numerous hard situations. When things were especially difficult he’d take a long ride on his motorcycle and call it therapy. Mostly he was praying with his knees in the breeze.

In addition to his wife, children, and grands, David is survived by his two sisters who loved him dearly: Jo Eagle and Gail Lambert [Jeff]. He was also loved by my two sisters Janice Mull [Milton] and Tamra Lesley [John] and father-in-law, Seabert Pittman. So many nieces and nephews loved and respected David. Several asked him to perform their weddings. Special thanks to all of you who have reached out to take care of us during our time of need. Our neighbor Vickie who held me while the ambulance took David to the hospital after an especially difficult night; Neighbor Terry who mows our grass just because he’s kind; Chris and Leslie who let us borrow their car when ours bit the dust; Dennis and Barry who took David to chemo; Ann and Randy who loved us through it all. Your compassion is what the Lord loves best of all.

A casual reception will be held at Grace Bible Church fellowship hall on Wednesday, July 2 from 6-8pm. Feel free to drop by, but due to my limited strength, we ask for brief visits with whichever family members you know personally. Instead of flowers, feel free to express your well wishes in a card c/o PO Box 602, Spencer, NC 28159 , or make a donation in David’s honor to Grace Bible Church, 6725 Hwy. 152 E, Rockwell, NC 28138.

David truly was a beautiful man of God. I will miss him with all my heart. He truly loved me well. To God be the glory!

One More

by   July 14, 2025 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

One more

Most of us were aware of it.

Many of us prayed about it.

Help them find one more, Lord.

They were young girls at a Christian camp in the middle of the night, as a flood carried away their cabin, every person, and every thing  inside of it. Quite frankly, it is hard for me to fathom. As soon as I typed the word fathom, my eyes blurred with tears, and  I looked up the definition to make sure the word was strong enough to express how I feel. Yes, it is hard to fathom, for sure.

If I knew the definition, I had forgotten it –

Definition 1. Noun –  A unit of length equal to six feet, mostly used in reference to the depth of water.

Definition 2. Verb –  Difficult to understand after much thought.

As I often do during a tragic event, I watched TV coverage non-stop, hoping for just one more person to be found alive. When that did not happen, I began to hope for just one more body to be found.

Yes, many of us who watched the coverage were praying for the same – one more!

A tragedy is defined as an event causing great suffering, destruction, distress, and sometimes death. How tragic it is for those who lost their lives in that unimaginable circumstance.

The ‘one more’ I was hoping for from the Texas flooding was not found.

I had written down the words ‘one more’ in my sermon notes the previous Sunday at church during the pastor’s message.

The phrase has stuck with me. A few years ago on a mission trip to Jamaica, people of all ages accepted Christ, and we found ourselves praying for just one more. In our everyday lives, reaching the thousands is unlikely, but reaching one more is very likely IF we make the effort.

While in Jamaica visiting many churches and towns to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I was a little surprised on our last day there, when the bus driver who had been taking us everywhere, watching and waiting for us at each stop, turned toward those of us loaded on the bus – and asked if he could have a Bible.

We had ministered to hundreds that week, but the bus driver became our one more.

As the writer of this column, I feel blessed to reach thousands each week. One day, a reader emailed me that she had accepted Christ as a result of reading my columns. She was my one more!

Sometimes, for all of us as Christians, as a result of our testimony and God’s grace and mercy, there is one more. And maybe another one more.

What greater victory can we have in our lives than to experience the spiritual salvation of those we cross paths with along the way?

I am praying that God will send us all one more!

Where Two or Three Gather…in the Backyard

by   July 13, 2025 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

I remember the excitement of sharing school yearbooks at the end of the school year. More often than not, someone would write, “Have a great summer! See you next year!” We were at the mercy of our working parents’ schedules, so we often wouldn’t see many of those friends until the next school year. But, when we did get to connect over the summer, what a great joy that was!

One does not have to be a student or a teacher (homeschool or brick-and-mortar) to relish summertime. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, the summer season offers a nice break in routines. There is a season for everything, as Ecclesiastes states. Summer is a wonderful time of year to have friends and neighbors over. The idea of sharing a summer meal together with outdoor entertainment – whether it be the pool, corn hole, frisbee, or a late-night outdoor movie on the sheet spread across a couple of trees – is too good to pass up. 

My husband and I have delighted in opening our home each week this summer to members/regular attendees of our church-plant congregation. We usually invite a couple of households to come share a meal, sit around the table, let the kids run all over the yard and cul-de-sac, and share our life stories along with our hopes and dreams. We ask questions like: tell us about your journey to Jesus, what special gifts has God given you to build His Kingdom, what are you excited about being able to do for others as you share the hope we have? The answers have been riveting at times. As one older gentleman shared a gripping testimony of repentance and forgiveness, my youngest son (7) proclaimed quietly to me as he grabbed a seat on the bench beside me, “Oh, I’m here for this!”

It reminds me of sitting around summer campfires with other families in my youth, listening to them not only share the hilarity of stories we had all heard before, but also conveying the goodness of our great God in their lives as they recounted special church services or making it through difficult times together. 

Summer is also a time to have cousins over for special adventures. Laughing at inside jokes or sharing a little harmless mischief. It’s also the season to invite friends to the pool for a play date, meet up with that long-time companion you always mean to catch up with, and pick the brain of an acquaintance with some experience or insight into something you are exploring. 

Our church visits parks after church on some Sunday evenings in the summer. We play and share together, but we also invite others from the community to join our fun. Sometimes it ends in a gospel conversation, and other times it is simply sharing a good time. 

Monthly Sunday potlucks continue in the summer, but people linger a little longer as the sun prolongs our days. It can sometimes be as leisurely as seeing Andy Taylor, Barney, and Aunt Bee sitting on the porch on a Sunday afternoon.

Yes, the reality of Acts 2:46 looks a particular kind of way in the summertime – “And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts.” Don’t we love it?

Maybe for your family, friends, and community connections, it looks like family reunions, big family vacations, attending parades, festivals, and fairs, camping trips (mountains or beach), participating in summer sports leagues, block parties, volunteer opportunities, or enjoying outdoor movie nights. It could be planned weeks ahead or spontaneously thrown together. 

The calendar is a little different. There is a respite if we do not overschedule, but there is also ample time to prioritize those friends and neighbors whom we get too busy to see at other times of the year. 

Don’t wait to see if your friends had a great summer. Spend some time together to make it a great summer.

Ashlie Miller is wife to Chad Miller, pastor of Mission Bible Church in the University City area of Charlotte. They raise their family in Concord, NC.

Rescue Mission

by   July 12, 2025 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

Rescue Mission

            We’ve all seen the pictures and videos coming out of Texas of the flooding they have endured. It brings back memories of what the folks in our mountains went through last year. I have watched videos where people were miraculously saved and others that left me wondering if the people survived. In one, the house is picked up off its foundation and begins floating down the river and flashlights can be seen inside the moving house.

            The Piedmont of North Carolina experienced some flooding over the weekend due to the remnants of a tropical storm. I saw stories of many road closures and even the interstate was closed due to flooding. I saw pictures from that area that showed businesses and people’s homes under water.

            I watched some videos of swift water rescues. It is amazing to see those guys work together to reach someone who is trapped in a car or clinging to a tree. They work cautiously, deliberately, and bravely to help stranded people. I find myself cheering when I see them complete their mission.

            People aren’t the only ones being rescued; I have also seen pet rescues. I have the upmost respect for those who run towards danger in hopes of saving both people and pets. Swift water rescues look so dangerous.

            Some videos show guys going into flooded areas to rescue people who are trapped on the roofs of their homes. Some rescues look like they are being done by average guys, not the professionals. That made me think of some of the guys at my church who love to fish. Several of them own boats and I can easily imagine them using their boats to go rescue people who are sitting on their roofs. They would be out there helping in any way they could if we were in situations like those in Texas and the Piedmont of North Carolina.

            That got me to thinking about people who are in trouble spiritually. Some people have found themselves trapped in the middle of the storms of life and they are sitting on the roofs of their spiritual homes needing someone to rescue them. Some people are trapped by drugs or alcohol. They are looking for an escape because they are overwhelmed by life.  Others are trying to ease some pain in their lives.

            People who are trapped in drug and alcohol abuse are calling out to be rescued. They need someone who can lead them to Jesus so they can discover the healing, forgiveness, and restoration that only He can provide. The question becomes who is brave enough to share their faith with the people who are stuck living in the darkness.

            All of us know people who are lost spiritually. They don’t believe in God and only use His name in a profane way. When we die there are only two options: heaven or hell. If we understood what hell is going to be like with no love and eternal suffering, then we would be eager to reach out to the lost. If someone still has breath in their body, there is still hope. Can we find the bravery needed to share the love of God with the lost?

            I know and understand that reaching out to broken and lost people is difficult. Some will reject you. Some will curse you. Some will stop being your friend. The risk and price are high. But sometimes reaching out can be as simple as being kind. Can we love those who feel unlovable? I don’t think we have to shove the gospel down someone’s throat. We can live the gospel and be lights in the darkness. Allow them to be attracted to us and see that there is something different about us. It will require words, but it might begin with a warm smile, a helping hand, something good to eat, or just hanging out and listening.

            We all know people who need rescuing, so I want to encourage you to take the first step towards winning them to faith: pray for them. Pray and ask God what you can do to help win those who are lost. God knows what they need and He can reveal it to you. Be obedient to what God shows you even though it might be scary. Be kind; kindness is often irresistible. Imagine it this way: you own a boat and there are people sitting on the roofs of their houses crying out for someone to come and help them. Will you be brave enough to help? They will be eternally grateful for your courage. 

Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com

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